Advice on Speakon jacks/options for Bag End cabs

[EdwardofHuncote]

'Marked Watched' so I can find this thread again!

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

A couple amps I'm trying out only offer Speakon-only connectors. They do not have the quarter inch option at all, not even the Speakon/quarter combo jacks. So here is my situation:

I have a Bag End S15X-D, which includes Speakon jacks, but are apparently wired differently than today's bass amps Speakon output. They were wired with a different (older?) spec, which terminates on a different pin than is currently used. In other words, I cannot use my Bag End Speakon connectors "as is" with a modern bass amp Speakon outputs. I communicated with Bag End (great customer service, BTW) and they confirmed that I would need an adapter or to replace the jack plate.

My other cab is a Bag End S15-C, which only has quarter inch and butterfly connectors.

My goal is to use these cabs for a while, but eventually sell them. I am debating cost vs. sound quality and ability to sell.

My options with the S15-D seem to be:

A) Get a new jack plate with the new Speakon spec for around $64/cab.

B) Get a Speakon to quarter inch speaker cable (or adapter) and ditch the native Speakon connection on the speaker. WAY cheaper.

C) Make a cable that converts the new Speakon configuration to the old. Bag End said this is possible and provided explanation on how to route power to the correct pins.

D) "Option B", but use the Butterfly connection instead of a quarter inch

My options with the S15-C are essentially A, B and D above. Or, I could simply run a quarter inch cable between the speakers to daisy chain them.

OK, clear as mud? With regard to options, I am curious of opinions for the options above.

1) Is there enough tangible difference in sound or power quality to justify paying to upgrade to all Speakon?

2) Is there enough tangible difference in "ability to sell" these cabs to justify get these to use all Speakon? I'm just not sure how expected it is to have Speakon in all cabs today.

Again, I'm thrilled with Bag End's responsiveness to my questions, but am just debating what is best here for the short and long term.

IMHO...

You are not going to keep the cabinets. If the CABLE recommended is the LEAST EXPENSIVE and can be included when you sell the cabinet all the better. Then use the 1/4" - 1/4" to daisy chain the 200 watt speakers together with that perfectly acceptable remedy.

Why spend $128 + to have to mess with adapting the plate on one cabinet and all those hassles, time and expense.

Life is short...get the cable and start playing!

 

[Wasnex]

Here's what I see. I resized and cropped this image from posts #14.

I believe the orientation of the speakON plugs is like this:

Note the through connections are clearly from 1+ and 1-.

You could unsolder the connectors and rotate them 180 degrees.

Then you would have this

Notice the screw holes in black still line up, but the polarity of the connections are now reversed: 2- is where 1+ was, 2+ is where 1- was, 1- is where 2+ was, and 1+ is where 2- was.

This will not matter for the through connections. 2+ will connect to 2+ and 2- will connect to 2-. But you will need to reverse the spade connectors in the red circles to resolve the reversal of 1+ and 1-. Actually the polarity of the spade connectors may have already been reversed as I would expect red to be positive, and it appears to be connected to 2-. I suggest double checking the polarity of the speakON connectors versus the 1/4" and banana terminals; that should tell you how to connect the spade connectors.

Unsoldering the connectors without a vacuum desoldering station can be tricky. Without this type of tool you are fairly likely to destroy or damage something.

 

[Wasnex]

Actually there appears to be a super easy solution facepalm:

It looks like there is a second set of spade terminals in the green circle that are for 1+, 1-. So simply move the spade connectors from the terminals in the red circle to the green circle and confirm the polarity between all connectors.

The only thing you will loose is the through connections on terminals 2+, 2-, but these are often left unwired anyway. I.E. if you don't need them don't worry about it.

 

[themacinator]

Wait, what!? So literally move two wires and BAM??!! Speakons work?

 

[bigtone23]

Wait, what!? So literally move two wires and BAM??!! Speakons work?

That's what it looks like. Easy Peasy!

 

[Gladowsky]

This is exactly what Bag End said:

"Or you could make yourself a custom speaker cable. This would have a standard 1-pins connector on one end that would go to your amp. On the cab end, you would have to have a 4 conductor speak-on connector (NL4) connected to the number 2 pins. This option would be the cheaper way to go."

This is precisely what I did with my two Bag End DBX-D cabinets. They are connected to a QSC-PLX1104 amp: 1+/1- and 2+/2-. Works great. Cables are labeled so they aren't mixed up.